When I got home from work today my Mum and Step-dad told me Pippa has had a sort of seizure thing. When I got in she didnt run and meet me like normal. She was standing next to my Mum and when I approached her she walked up to me but her rear end was going to the side causing her to walk diagonally. We got her to lay in her bed and every time she tried to focus on something her head kind of went from side to side not alot just slightly like she was dizzy and couldnt focus. As I was at work I asked Mum what happened this is it...
At about 1 O'clock today Pippa was brushing her head and body against my mum winding her body in and out mums legs (which is normal because she was wet and she normally does this) then she walked away from Mum and her back legs just collapsed, since she has been walking funny (as described earlier) and she has been sick three times. She is lying in her bed now but she is obviosuly not comfortable and unhappy.
Any ideas as to what is wrong? We have look at the SM website as after watching the pedigree programme on BBC are mind was immediatly drawn to that. She is only showing some of the symptoms but she hasnt been scratching which I thought was the main symptom.
Pippa is now 5 years old if that helps.
Please get back asap as we are very worried.

Love my Cavaliers

5th October 2008, 05:27 PM

Is there an emergency veterinary clinic you could take her to now? I have no idea what's wrong with her, but it seems like something that should be checked out immediately - especially since she's uncomfortable, has vomited three times, and is not herself.

Cathy Moon

5th October 2008, 05:33 PM

Yes, get her to an emergency vet. Let us know how her appointment goes. :flwr::flwr::flwr:

Pat

5th October 2008, 06:50 PM

Sounds a bit like a vestibular incident, but she is rather young for that. Do you see her eyes moving strangely - darting from side to side? And ataxia - incoordination as if she is drunk? I've had three Cavaliers that have had vestibular incidents - they were all in their teens - and recovery is generally complete within 10 days to two weeks or so without treatment except for supportive measures. One boy was left with a slight permanent head tilt. For some unknown reason, vestibular incidents often occur during the change of seasons - such as now.

Pat

http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/vestibular.html

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_vestibular_disease.html

http://members.tripod.com/dachshealth/canine_vestibular_disease.htm

Love my Cavaliers

5th October 2008, 09:09 PM

Riley, my 6 year old black and tan, has had vestibular events since she was about 2, and has a head tilt since I got her at 11 months of age. I always thought they were seizures and presented them that way to her vet. Since they were so short, I elected not to medicate her. When they became more frequent I decided to go to a neurologist. The sad news was that she had severe and advanced SM. She had decompression surgery in June and is doing fine except that the vestibular events are still recurring and she has a pretty severe head tilt. The first web-site Pat mentioned (canine-epilepsy) describes Riley's symptoms to a tee, especially the uncoordinated rapid eye movements and the rolling from side to side. This is not to alarm you as Pippa may have something totally unrelated, but to encourage you to get her checked out ASAP. Riley's SM was probably so advanced because it wasn't diagnosed for years after symptoms first occured. Good luck and let us know.